Not Everyone Loves Gold
by Darien Fawkes
Summary: Not everyone is so happy about the new arrival at the Shiba House.  Will incorporate the events of "Blue and Gold".
1. Chapter 1

**Legal:** I do not own Power Rangers or the associated names, places, characters etc. Anything not covered by the above rights should be presumed to be purely the creation of the author.

**Rating:** T – may be some mild adult themes.

**A/N:** This will take place across the events of "Blue and Gold", and incorporate a slight re-imagining of it. Hope you all enjoy it.

Laughing, they were always laughing. It was like they were constantly high, or constantly drunk, or of course, what it felt like the most, they were laughing at him.

Kevin had never liked it when Antonio came to the Shiba House; he had made that much very clear. He was not trained in the proper Samurai way, and yet Jayden, because he had known the guy when he was 6 years old, had ordered that he was to remain and be taught in their ways.

Mike, he kind of expected to like Antonio and want him around. In some ways they were a lot alike. In the few days since he had arrived, he and Mike were pretty much always together, laughing and joking. Mike had someone to play his silly video games with, and Antonio had even taken to joining him in training, something Kevin really wasn't happy about since, as an untrained Samurai, he figured he should be paired with someone who was much better versed in their ways like him or Jayden.

Emily...he wasn't surprised she liked him. They were definitely alike. He was every bit as clumsy and accident prone as she was. Indeed, he got worse whenever he was around others, his natural propensity to show off and make a big show out of everything over riding what Kevin would consider common sense. Emily though seemed to find it cute, and seemed to think it was a good thing that she wasn't the only one that would occasionally knock over a fruit bowl or drop a drinking glass.

Jayden was his Shogun, and he had no right to question him, but that was the thing that vexed him. He seemed to be so focussed on the fact that his childhood friend had come back that he was blinded to the chaos he was causing. He was a distraction in training, even to Jayden, who in the time since he arrived, seemed to spend more time laughing than actually training. He seemed to think nothing when he and Mike started goofing off and stopped with the lesson they had been assigned.

He had even seen him with Emily a few times while she was at the computer, when she was meant to be doing one of her online lessons and heard them laughing. It was bad enough he was disrupting training, but Emily was still to earn her High School Diploma. It wasn't fair that he was keeping her from getting an education that would, one day, be what she'd be relying on when she got to go home and have her own life.

Right now though, he was finding the thing he hated the most. It was breakfast time, and Antonio was in the kitchen with Mia yet again, this time taking her through the finer points of making an omelette. It wasn't much, just a standard cheese and ham omelette, but it was something she had already uniquely bastardised in her infamous "PB and J omelette", which looked so bad that Emily had almost barfed when she saw it. He watched as Antonio held her, gently taking her wrist and helping her shake the pan.

"So you just wiggle the fork, and shake the pan like this." He told her. "That makes it a little fluffy when it comes out."

"So how long does this take?" She asked. "I mean, I normally have it in for about fifteen or twenty minutes..."

"Are you making an omelette or a discus?" He chuckled. "Seriously, if you heat the pan like I showed you, five minutes and a quick one of these...!"

He flicked the pan, causing it to flip over, much to Mia's amusement.

"Two more minutes and it's good to go!"

"I can't believe an omelette takes so little time!" She stated. "I mean, I always heard you need to be careful with eggs!"

"You have to cook them; you don't need to cremate them." He told her, patting her backside. "Tell you what, why don't you get the others and some plates. I should be ready to serve up shortly."

Kevin felt his jaw clenching and his shoulders tightening as he saw this. He had no right to touch Mia that way. She was his girlfriend. He had been re-teaching her to cook, but since this joker showed up, she had been listening to his every word. He had his hands on her at every opportunity in their "lessons". He knew that Mia had a lot to learn in the kitchen, but he was the one who was teaching her. It was just one of the few times they actually had to spend time with each other. When they were training, they were focussed on the lesson at hand. When they were in the house...well...with three other people in the house, two of which were energetic teenagers, it was impossible to get any peace and be alone.

Cooking together had been kind of their thing for a while. Now though, she seemed to have shoved him aside for this guy. It was like all the burns and hours of standing over her as she butchered countless vegetables and meat products were for nothing. He watched as they slid the omelette onto a plate.

"And that is how to do a perfect ham and cheese omelette mi amiga." He told her. "Now, if you use a heavy pan, it's even easier to make a frittata!"

"This smells amazing; I can't believe I made this!" She shrieked. "Guys, breakfast is ready!"

As the others filed in, Kevin just forced a little smile as they came in. Mentor Ji had a huge grin on his face.

"This smells wonderful Antonio!" Mentor Ji complimented him.

"Hey, don't look at me dude; it was all Mia's work." He replied. "I just gave her a few pointers."

"Yeah, I noticed." Kevin said a little coldly as he sat down. Mia had already started slicing up the omelette and portioning it out. He took his plate and took a little bite. He couldn't really say anything else, it was pretty much perfect. It was light, fluffy, and far better than anything Mia normally made. "It's pretty good."

"Pretty good, dude this is magnifico!" Antonio announced, wrapping an arm around Mia. "I wish everyone I taught picked stuff up this quickly!"

"Hey guys...hmm what smells so good?" Jayden asked.

"Ham and cheese omelette." Mia announced proudly. "I made it."

"Oh my god, are you sure?" Mike mumbled out through a mouthful. "No offence Mia, but this is great!"

"None taken!" She said with a smile. "I'm just glad to be able to cook without sending everyone to the bathroom!"

"It turns out all she needed was a little guiding touch." Antonio sated proudly. "She just needed to use the knife a little more like a scalpel and less like a sabre, and some guidance on cooking times but other than that she's a pretty magnifico student."

She giggled as he patted her on the butt at the compliment. Kevin let out a slight cough as he took down another mouthful.

"It's pretty good." He told them. Mia noticed the little look he gave Antonio as he continued to eat and could tell that something was brewing.

"Antonio, how are you booked for the next couple of hours?" Mike asked him. "I have a call of duty 4 group getting together in about fifteen, and I figured..."

"Dude, do you know how long it's been?" Antonio asked him. "You just know it!"

"But, you said you'd help me with Spanish." Emily chipped in. He just smiled.

"I'm fluent." He reminded her. "It'll take me no time to help you. Trust me!"

"Well just remember you owe me a rematch." Jayden told him as he got up. "I'm heading into town for some milk."

"I look forward to it amigo!" Antonio called after him. Kevin just didn't get it. Why did everyone think he was so wonderful? Sure, he could help Emily with her Spanish assignments, but that was just because he spoke Spanish. It would be like him teaching her to swim! Jayden was Antonio's room-mate, and seemed to be still totally digging being reunited with his old friend, while Mike...he just seemed to like having someone around that he could goof around with on the games consoles. Emily played with him, but wasn't really that into games, so it was a change of pace to find someone who actually would sit with him while he stormed the gates of Hell or took on the Daemon Prince or whatever he actually did on those games.

Mia just mumbled as she took a bite of the omelette she had made.

"Oh my god, this tastes great!" She called out, patting Antonio on the shoulder. "You are so awesome!"

"Tell me something I don't know." Antonio said cheerfully, before looking to Kevin. "So Mia said you're a big swimmer. I saw a great spot..."

"No thanks." Kevin stated. "I'm busy today."

"It's only a little way..."

"I said I'm fine." Kevin reiterated. Antonio looked around the others.

"Uh...Kevin, isn't that kid from Norway online around now?" He asked.

"Just let me get more of this." He replied, taking more omelette, before following Antonio into the living room. Emily just finished her plate.

"I have some homework." She told them. "I'll catch you later."

As she left, Mia put down her fork.

"What exactly are you doing today that's so important?" She asked him.

"Nothing really, just fighting Nighlocks, saving the world, you know, the usual." He told her.

"You know what I mean!" She put down firmly. "Antonio's just trying to be nice."

"I don't want to go swimming." He pressed on.

"He was just trying to help!" She reiterated. "The way you turned him away was just so rude!"

"I never asked him for recommendations for swimming spots." He grumbled as he finished his omelette. Despite everything, he had to admit that it was good, certainly better than anything she had cooked under his guidance, something that was just another reason he hated him.

"Would it really have been so hard to just hear what he had to say and say thank you?" She asked him.

"I don't know, maybe if he fondled my ass..."

She slammed down her fork, glaring at him angrily.

"Is that what this is about?" She asked him. "Kevin, is that it? He's just a tactile guy! Hell, you saw how he is with Jayden, and you don't see Mike going all apeshit when he touches Emily."

"Excuse me if I'm not exactly cool with the new guy groping my girlfriend!" He sneered.

"Kevin, he doesn't mean anything by it." She told him. "Hell, did you think Mike was molesting me when he was showing me that Gogopolata choke?"

"It's not the same thing." Kevin muttered.

"What about when Jayden helped me up when I fell over in training yesterday?" She asked him. "Did you think that was just him 'copping a feel'?"

"Mia it isn't the same!" He told her.

"I guess maybe I should see if there's somewhere else I can sleep." She interrupted him sarcastically. "I mean, I have been sharing a room with Emily..."

"It's not the same!" He roared, before tossing his dishes in the sink. "I'm going for a walk."

Mia just grabbed his arm as he was about to walk away.

"Just so you know, the whole jealous Neanderthal thing isn't terribly attractive." She told him.

"I just don't know if I can trust the guy yet." He replied. "I'll be back later."

With that, he leant in to kiss her, but Mia pulled away. Hurt by the gesture, Kevin just gathered up his jacket and stormed out of the house. Mia just groaned and carried on with her breakfast.


	2. The Temple Battle

Kevin was taking a walk through the streets of the city, trying to cool down after the events of the morning. He always hated it when he fought with his friends, and especially with Mia. He pretty much did everything he could to avoid it, but something about the new arrival that just rubbed him up the wrong way. It was like he had cast some kind of spell that just made everyone fall all over themselves to take him in. In some ways, he had found himself almost hoping that was the case. He had found himself imagining that Antonio was really a Niglock, and that he had cast a spell over the others to make them take him in despite his irritating habits.

He doubted that was the case, but it was like everything Antonio did just grated on him. The way he would distract everyone in training by messing around, and instead of being corrected, all he got was rewarded with laughter. He was good, Kevin had to admit that much, but the fact was training wasn't meant to be a time for laughter, it was serious. It wasn't like the Nighlock were ever going to just stop and have a laugh with them in the middle of a battle. They needed to train the same way they would fight, treating it as though they were in danger, but with Antonio and Mike seeming to compete for who would raise the first laugh, it was hard to concentrate. Surely it was only a matter of time before one of them got seriously hurt.

He arrived at the temple Dayu had taken the brides to. It was a nice, quiet place that he sometimes liked to come and think about things. Whenever things were getting too much at the Shiba House, he would make his way out here. It was only really used for services, and as such nobody minded if he just came here to meditate when it was empty.

He didn't want to feel this way. He really wanted to give Antonio a chance, to see what the others did in him, to just be able to accept the new member of the team and get on with things, but he was already finding areas where he weakened the team. Mike was never the most dedicated to his training, but since Antonio had arrived, he just seemed to see him goofing off even more, and the two of them seemed to spend all their time on the games console. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen Mike practicing his symbol power.

Emily seemed to be forever hanging around them too. She was slacking off in training, and he couldn't remember seeing her at the computer in a while, other than when she and Antonio were laughing at something, no doubt looking up some stupid website or other. She was at a crucial time in her life, and Antonio was a bad influence on her. It was bad enough with Mike, but at least over time, he had come to accept that Emily had more responsibilities than him and was able to back off a little and let her get on with things.

Then, of course, there was Mia. He had really bonded with her since she discovered the terrible truth about her cooking. While he wasn't exactly a brilliant chef himself, he knew some basics. His parents had always ensured that he would be able to make himself meals to ensure he was eating right. He had loved the time they spent in the kitchen while he taught her the basics. Since Antonio had arrived though, she seemed to be listening more to him. He was clearly a much better chef. He had to admit that under his guidance, Mia was starting to do things that he doubted he would ever be able to show her.

He knew it was just jealousy. He felt pushed aside by the new guy spending so much time with Mia, showing her things that if he was honest, baffled him. He also wasn't wild about the whole touching thing. Whenever he saw Antonio putting an arm around her, he had the urge to look for the nearest sharp object. Even a simple touch on the wrist as he helped her guide a knife to show her how to do a particular cut was enough to get his brain imagining all sorts of images that turned his stomach.

As he got towards the door, he heard someone moving around inside. He thought this was odd, there were no services scheduled for that day, and as far as he knew, the cleaners only came at night. He heard noises that made it sound like furniture was being moved around, and then he heard a crash.

"Be careful with that!" A weird, high pitched voice stated. "We're here to search the place, not wreck it."

Kevin made his way inside, taking care not to come too far into the room. Inside, he saw moogers moving furniture around, and searching all around the room. In the centre of the meditation room, a short, dumpy looking creature with tentacles hanging from its face was berating a mooger standing next to a smashed vase.

"Octoroo?" He asked. He recognised him from the archives. Octoroo was Master Xandred's tactical advisor, and one of the leading generals in his army. He couldn't remember any references to a time where he went into the field himself. He couldn't even remember any reference to him leaving the junk on the Sanzu River. He drew in closer, to listen to see if he could get a better idea why he was there.

Another mooger gestured wildly, babbling in the way that only Nighlocks seemed to understand. Octoroo looked over to it, seeing what it was gesturing to. The statue of Buddha. Octoroo just looked to it and smirked, tapping it with his staff, at which it let out a hollow ring.

"They were so obvious." He chuckled. "Open it!"

Kevin wanted to intervene, they were in the process of desecrating a temple, but another thought occurred to him. If Octoroo had dared to venture out of the Netherworld, then whatever they were looking for had to be important. If he stuck around, then he would be able to find out what. After all, if it was so important for him to get it, then it stood to reason it would be important for the Rangers to get it first. It also occurred to him that it presented them with an all too rare opportunity, the tactical advantage of taking out Master Xandred's tactical advisor.

As the statue was overturned, crashing to the floor, Kevin took out his Samuraizer. Octoroo approached the shrine, and reached into it, pulling out a scroll. He opened it, looking at it in interest.

Kevin stepped out of the shadow, confronting the Nighlock.

"You know it's only courtesy to clean up after yourself if you make a mess." Kevin announced. "Perhaps you need a lesson in manners."

"I suppose you're going to teach me?" Octoroo asked. "I don't have time for this. You deal with it. I'm going..."

Kevin quickly morphed and drew his hydro bow. Firing off a blast, it sliced off a piece of the scroll just as Octoroo was about to leave.

"The scroll!" He shrieked. As he reached for the missing piece, Kevin launched himself into the air, landing on it with his foot, preventing him taking it as he swung his Spin Sword around, taking down moogers. Octoroo fired off a blast, sending him flying, before disappearing into a gap, leaving Kevin alone with the moogers. He got back to his feet, cursing his luck. If he had a little more time, he could have taken him out, denying Master Xandred his main tactical advisor. Right now though, he had more pressing matters to deal with.

Back at the Shiba House, Mia was sitting on the couch reading when Emily came over, taking a break from the computer. She leapt over the back of the couch, landing next to the Pink Ranger, causing her to bounce a little. Mia just groaned.

"You're going to break the couch one of these days." Mia sighed.

"Well someone's in a good mood." Emily chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "I guess Kevin's not back yet."

"Does it look like he is?" Mia muttered. "No doubt he's off sulking somewhere..."

"And you're totally not sulking at all are you?" Emily teased her. Mia just shrugged.

"I just don't know why he's the only one who has a problem with Antonio." Mia replied. "I mean...he's done nothing but try and help, but Kevin just keeps finding fault in everything he does."

"I guess he's just taking a little longer to warm to the situation than us." Emily commented. "You know how long it took him to get used to Mike."

Mia cast a little glance in the direction of the door as Antonio let out another yell of triumph from where they were playing video games.

"Mike doesn't have the same problem with him." Mia reminded her.

"I guess they have a lot in common." Emily replied. "I mean, he makes me laugh just like Mike does..."

"And Mike doesn't go acting like a petulant two year old whenever Antonio plays with you." She muttered. Emily just furrowed her brows, hearing her say this.

"Ok, why do I get the feeling I'm missing something?" She asked in response. Mia just threw down the magazine in frustration.

"We had a fight before he left." Mia told her. "He kind of got a little weird about..."

Just then, the Gap Sensor sounded. Emily and Mia ran into the main room, where Jayden, Mike and Antonio were already waiting. Mentor Ji pulled up the map on the coffee table computer system.

"It's the old temple." He told them. "According to this, Kevin's already there."

"He must have tried to deal with it by himself." Jayden announced.

"Typical." Mia scoffed, crossing her arms defiantly as she looked away. "Of course he isn't going to do anything sensible like call for backup or anything."

Emily put a hand on her shoulder. Although Mia was mad at Kevin, she could tell that Mia was worried about him, and was anxious to find out if he was alright.

"I'm sure if he had time, he'd have called for us." Jayden assured her. "Come on guys, he needs us."

Back at the site of the battle, Kevin was beginning to find the weight of numbers overwhelming. While the moogers rarely presented him with much of a problem, in the comparatively confined space of the temple, he didn't really have room to manoeuvre, meaning that they could pin him down. Just as he got one of them off, another would be right on top of him.

He was sent crashing through some chairs, de morphing as he landed among the debris. Just as some moogers levelled bows in his direction, a gold streak rushed in front of him, and the Gold Ranger swiped the arrows out of the air in a blur of activity.

"Try to get them outside." Jayden told them. "They've already caused enough damage."

"Are you alright?" Mike asked as they started to drive the others out. "We came as soon as we could." Kevin dragged himself back to his feet, but just as he got ready to rejoin the battle, it seemed like it was over, and the moogers were gone. Antonio came over, tapping him on the shoulder.

"No worries there compadre." He chirped cheerfully as he de-morphed, looking around at the scene in the temple. "No need to thank us for the save. I got your back."

"Kevin, what happened here?" Jayden asked as he came back in, looking around.

"I came here to meditate, and they were here." Kevin told them. "It was Octoroo."

"Octoroo?" Emily asked. "That freaky looking octopus thing that works for Xandred?"

"They were looking for something." Kevin told them. "It was inside the statue."

Mike went to the statue and looked inside.

"The base is empty." Mike told them. "Whatever was here, they're long gone with it now."

"Not quite." Emily replied, moving some debris. The piece of the scroll Kevin had taken off with his hydro bow was still there among the wreckage. "I think this is part of it."

"Mentor Ji should have a look at it." Jayden stated. "Come on guys, no doubt someone will be coming to check out what happened, and I'm sure the cops will have some awkward questions if we're still here when the cops get here."

"Sure thing dude." Antonio said as he reached for Kevin. "Come on..."

Kevin brushed him off harshly, glaring at him. Antonio just held his hands up, backing off.

"I'm fine." Kevin told him. "I don't need your help."

"Sure, whatever you say." Antonio replied as Kevin just limped from the temple. Mia rolled her eyes as she saw this.

"Mia..."

"Don't bother making excuses for him." Mia muttered. "I'm getting so sick of this attitude of his."

"We can discuss it later." Jayden assured her, putting away the piece of parchment. "Right now, Mentor Ji will want to see this."

Octoroo had returned to his study with the fruits of his labour, a piece of an ancient scroll, which he suspected could be of great use to him. Not wanting to risk anything, he had kept an eye on the battle, making sure that all of the moogers had been destroyed. The last thing he needed was for Master Xandred to find out what he was doing. Until he was sure about his suspicions, there was no reason for Master Xandred to be involved. No, for now at least, this was his project.

He looked through the scroll, or what was left of it, but found himself interrupted as Dayu walked in. She just let out a little sigh.

"What are you up to?" She asked him. "Playing with dusty old paper again?"

"It's none of your concern." He told her, stowing the scroll away for later. "One of us has to do something useful."

With that, he left the room. Dayu just watched him go, stroking her chin thought fully.

"Now I know you must be up to something." She replied. Just then, she heard a bellowing roar.

"Dayu!" Master Xandred called out. "Dayu!"

"You'll have to wait noodleface." She muttered. "Right now, I have something to do."

Back at the Shiba House, the Rangers were sitting around as Mentor Ji read the scroll. There wasn't much of it, only a small fragment, but he seemed to be taking it seriously. After all, if it was important enough for Octoroo to risk coming to the human world personally when he could have sent any number of henchmen, then it was likely that it wasn't going to bode well for the Rangers.

"There isn't much to go on." Mentor Ji told them. "I will research this further."

"Until we know anything more, I think we have to concentrate on keeping our guard up." Jayden declared. "If Octoroo's involved, then we can be sure that something is coming."

"I'll just go and get some co-codamol." Kevin replied, getting up painfully and beginning to leave the room. Antonio followed him, finding him in the kitchen preparing his painkiller.

"That shoulder looks pretty badly bruised." He told him. "If you'd like, I know this great..."

"Sorry, did I ask for your help?" Kevin asked sarcastically. "I've been doing this for a while now. Long before you showed up."

"Look, obviously I still get on your nerves." Antonio stated. "I don't want to cause trouble around here, but I also have no intention of leaving. I just want to see if there's some way we can get on the same page."

"How about you just stay out of my way, and I'll do the same." Kevin responded. Antonio just shook his head.

"Alright, let's try this again." He sighed. "How about we start at the beginning? Maybe if you started by telling me exactly what about me bugs you so much..."

"Sorry, but I don't have a spare couple of years." Kevin said sarcastically. Antonio just got a little smirk on his face as he noticed the way Kevin looked at the dish he had pulled out of the fridge, realising it was one of the meals he had prepared with Mia. "Is this about Mia?"

"No, it's not about Mia. It's about you being in my face every time I turn around!" Kevin snapped at him, approaching him aggressively. "But seeing as you bring it up, no I'm not especially happy about you putting the moves on my girlfriend."

"Putting the moves on...?" Antonio just started laughing as he heard this. "Dude, are you serious?"

Kevin had heard enough of the Gold Ranger's jokes and taunts. He wasn't going to stand there and let him laugh at him. He grabbed Antonio roughly, shoving him against the wall.

"Ok, you're not joking." He coughed, just getting his breath back as Kevin clamped a hand across his throat. "Dude..."

"I've seen the way you have your hands all over her every chance you get." Kevin interrupted him.

"Seriously, you have completely the wrong idea." Antonio told him. "Look, I wasn't laughing at you, it was just..."

"Don't even try to lie to me!" Kevin spat.

"Kevin!" Mia yelled, finding the scene unfolding in the kitchen. He released Antonio, at which the Gold Ranger just rubbed his neck.

"Antonio, please give us a moment." She told him. Antonio left the room, at which Kevin just looked to Mia, his rage building. He had done it again. He had caused a rift between him and his girlfriend.

"Mia..."

"Save it Kevin, I'm sick of this!" She told him. "Are you really that insecure?"

"He had his hands all over you!" He reminded her. "I just..."

"Of course that just means I have no choice. Of course I'm just going to fall all over myself for him." She said sarcastically. "Grow up Kevin!"

"I just don't trust him." He told her. She took a step closer.

"It takes two to tango." She reminded him. "You might not trust him, but nothing would happen without me wanting it to."

Kevin just stared at her, his mouth drying out. He tried to form an answer, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything. She just sighed and shook her head.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." She replied, storming out of the room. Kevin watched her go, his temper flaring wildly. Seeing the Tupperware dish Antonio had been about to heat up, he picked it up and threw it into the wall splattering it everywhere, before grabbing his head in frustration. Why was it that no matter what he did, he only ended up making things worse?


	3. Antonio's New Plan

As the night started to fall, Jayden came out into the training yard finding Antonio there, hammering into a training dummy. He was a little surprised to see that. He was half expecting him to be with Mia or Emily or Mike. As he struck with a blow, the helmet flew off. Antonio followed its path, seeing Jayden catch it.

"You know, you might want to adjust your strike." Jayden recommended as he replaced the helmet on the dummy. "The fact it came off says your strike was directed upwards and you flicked it off. You want a horizontal strike."

"Thanks." Antonio said with a smile. "I could use the pointers."

Jayden just put the helmet back on the dummy as he came over, just smiling at his friend.

"I guess this is about Kevin." He replied. "I wouldn't worry too much..."

"I just don't want to be the Yoko factor in the team." He responded. "I mean, he's great, I can see that myself. I don't need the guy to love me or anything, I just want..."

"I get it, this has all been hard." Jayden assured him. "For what it's worth, I've really tried not to pull rank on him and remind him that it's my choice not his."

"Thanks, somehow I doubt that would have made him love me anymore." Antonio sighed as he sat down. Jayden joined him on the bench, but as he did so, he noticed a slight red mark by the edge of Antonio's neck scarf. He reached up, at which the Gold Ranger moved away.

"Let me see." Jayden told him. "Don't make me pull rank on you."

Antonio just sighed and let him pull down the scarf, revealing the red mark from his run in with Kevin. Jayden seemed to stiffen up.

"This was him wasn't it?" Jayden asked, his face beginning to look a little redder than Antonio would have liked. He just put up a hand.

"It was nothing, just messing around." Antonio told him. "It's sorted..."

"He laid his hands on you!" Jayden snapped. "I can't just let that go!"

"Jayden, it was between us, let it go!" Antonio begged him. "If you go in all guns blazing, it'll just look like I told teacher on him, and how much is he going to love me for that?"

Jayden just snorted in response. He knew Kevin had a problem with Antonio, and he had wanted to stand back a little and let them sort it out. He knew Antonio well enough to know that he had a habit of taking a little while to get used to. Part of him wanted to march to Kevin's room and drag him outside for a beating, but he understood Antonio's position. Grassing was hardly the way to endear himself to Kevin.

"If anything else happens..."

"Let me guess, if anything else happens, you'll have to step in." Antonio interrupted him. Jayden was still serious, but the corners of his mouth twitched a little hearing that. "Trust me, I really don't want that."

"But..."

"I just want the guy to lay off. I don't need him thinking I'm a tattle tale." He interrupted his friend. "He seems to have a big hang up on this 'real samurai' thing. Maybe if I was taught what that involved, he'd see that I'm serious about this."

"I'll take care of it." Jayden assured him. "From now on..."

"Jayden, if you don't mind, I really need to sort this out with Kevin." He replied. I want him to see how serious I am."

Jayden didn't want to leave it alone, especially since he had just found out that the two had already been involved in a physical altercation, but he respected Antonio's wish to deal with it by himself. He could understand why he didn't want to just run crying to him.

"Mentor Ji asked me to give you something." Jayden told him, grabbing a package. "He said he wanted me to give you this."

Jayden walked away, back into the house, before coming back a little later, carrying a small tub, and a letter. Antonio showed it to him.

"The Claw Zord?" Jayden asked him.

"Apparently it was battle damaged years ago." Antonio responded. "Ji just wants to see if I'm as good as I say I am."

"Are you?" Jayden asked. He just smiled.

"Well I had this awesome boss once in Reefside and she showed me some really cool..."

"I don't need to know the details." Jayden assured him, holding up a hand. "If you think you can do it, I'm confident you can."

"So you'll let me deal with the whole Kevin thing myself?" Antonio asked. Jayden was a little less sure about that. Kevin was pretty set in his ways. He didn't like to think badly of him, but the Blue Ranger had been a bit of a problem. Not to mention there was a part of him that wanted to have very real words about what he had done to Antonio. He reluctantly just nodded.

"Just know that I'm here and willing to drop the boom if things get out of hand." Jayden reminded him.

"I appreciate it mi amigo." Antonio replied, putting an arm around Jayden and holding him closely. "It really is great being back."

"It's really great having you back." Jayden answered. "I just hope your plan works."

With that, he left the room. Antonio just lifted the lid on the container and looked inside.

The following morning, the Rangers all assembled in the Living Room. Antonio had spent a large part of the night agonising over his task, but he was confident enough to announce a presentation.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to present to you, the newest member of the team." He announced with a huge grin, lifting the lid. "The Claw Zord!"

"You made a Zord?" Mia asked him.

"Actually he was battle-damaged years ago." Antonio corrected her. Mentor Ji just wanted me to work some of my tech wizardry on it."

They all looked around at him, at which the Mentor just shrugged.

"I just wanted to see if he could do it." He answered.

"I just programmed in some symbols electronically." Antonio explained, projecting images in the air with his morpher.

"So you've been using electronic symbol power?" Mia asked him.

"Welcome to the 21st century." He chirped, giving her a cheeky wink, before remembering that Kevin was in the room. He now knew one of the issues Kevin had was with him hanging around Mia. He hadn't really done anything to correct the situation, now all he wanted was not to enflame the situation.

"That's great." Kevin told him. "But it's the actions of a computer nerd, not a Samurai."

"Kevin!" Mia snapped, but Jayden put a hand on her forearm to warn her to stay out of it. He didn't like the disrespectful display any more than she did, indeed, he had half a mind to get up and beat Kevin himself, but he just let it go, honouring his promise to Antonio. "What is your problem? He just fixed a Zord all by himself!"

"Yeah, come on." Mike chipped in. "I get that you're all Mr. Tradition and such, but seriously, it's getting a little old dude. Someone needs to surgically remove the stick from your ass."

"Being a Samurai is more than just pushing a few buttons!" Kevin protested.

With that, he stormed out of the room, leaving them all behind. Jayden just sighed.

"Let it go." He whispered.

"But he's being a complete..."

"I said, let it GO Mike!" Jayden reiterated. "Concentrate on your own training. I'll tell you when it's time to get involved."

He just watched Kevin and the others leave and sighed.

"I really hope you know what you're doing Antonio." He whispered, gripping the hilt of a bokken. "If you don't settle this, I'm going to have to."

Antonio spent the rest of the day following Kevin throughout the house, tracking him with some web cams. In his travels, he had encountered a few people who had bolstered his already impressive grasp of technology, and right now he was putting it to use. He reasoned that Kevin's main problem with him was that he wasn't "a true Samurai". As a result, he had come up with a possible solution. If he wasn't a true Samurai, then at least he could find out what exactly a true Samurai did. He wanted to learn, and learn from the best, and of all the Rangers, he figured that was Kevin.

He spent two whole days following his movements, and found him to run like clockwork. He was always up by 7, had a run and a shower before 8, and three hours of training before 11. He then spent a couple of hours painting symbols to practice his symbol power, and later, for an hour before bed, he studied books on the ways of the Samurai. It was exhausting just watching him, but he was determined to make this work. If Kevin was so intent that he wasn't a true Samurai, he would at very least match him move for move, and do everything he did. Maybe then, he would finally realise he wasn't kidding around.

That night, Bulk and Spike were asleep in their club house, when a Nighlock crept in, sneaking through between them. He made his way over, picking up the large panda, Sammy, that Spike had won at Rainbow's End. It had served as a mascot to them as they trained; sitting under a sign reading only "spoils of war."

As the Nighlock was about to leave, it felt a hand on its foot. Had it been discovered? Looking down, it realised Spike had merely turned over in his sleep, and his hand had landed on his foot by chance. It lifted up his hand, and dropped it right on Spike's face.

"Uncle Bulk, what's your hand doing on my face?" He asked sleepily, before going back to snoring loudly. The Nighlock just smiled and left the room, its ill-gotten gain tucked under his arm.

The next morning, Antonio was up at 7, and already dressed. He doubted that Kevin would exactly go for the idea of them running together, especially since he thought that Antonio was making moves on Mia, and had figured that perhaps it was best to give it a few days of just doing what Kevin did and getting used to the routine out of sight before showing him that he could do everything Kevin could. Hearing Kevin leave, he got up, and followed him for his morning jog, staying far enough back that he was sure he was out of sight.

As they went through the woods, he had to admit that keeping pace with Kevin was hard work. Years of cardiovascular training between his swimming and his training as a Samurai meant that he had incredible stamina. As they got to a clearing though, he passed as they heard some strange laughter.

"Did you hear that Antonio?" Kevin asked.

"Yeah I did." Antonio responded, before realising what he had said. He just groaned. "You knew I was following you?"

"Probably since you started." He answered. "The red blinking lights on those cameras are more noticeable than you think."

"Look, I just wanted..."

"This is serious; it's not a kid's game." Kevin told him.

"I never thought it was!" Antonio responded. "I just wanted to show you that I'm willing to do whatever it takes to prove to you I can do this!"

"Whatever." Kevin muttered, shaking his head. "Let's just check this out and get back."

As they made their way to a clearing, they found Octoroo with another Nighlock and some moogers, piling up a collection of toys near a well. Antonio just looked a little bemused.

"What do they want with kids' toys?" He asked.

"Maybe if we listen, we would find out?" Kevin suggested sarcastically.

"30 treasured toys; this'll really get the tears flowing." Octoroo declared gleefully. "Once the well is full, we'll be able to send an army of Nighlocks through."

"They're planning to wreck toys to make kids cry?" Antonio asked. "That's low, even for them." Kevin for once agreed with him. It was a nasty plan, but a clever one nonetheless.

"You must use this to chop them up." Octoroo declared, handing him a stone axe. "It's made from Sanzu River bedrock."

"We have to do something." Antonio announced. Kevin whipped out his Samuraizer and started to dial, only to find it bleeping at him.

"The signal's jammed." He told Antonio. The Gold Ranger tried his, finding the same result.

"Something's blocking the signal." Antonio concluded. He had a thought and looked around, seeing seals pinned to some of the trees with Kanji symbols on them. They were glowing. "Uh, Kevin? I think they know we're here."

"We sure do." Octoroo replied, casting a power blast their way. Kevin and Antonio ducked back into cover. "Come out, come out wherever you are!"

"We can't reach the others." Kevin stated.

"Then I guess we do this ourselves." Antonio replied, whipping out his Samuraizer. "What do you say?"

Kevin prepared his too and smiled.

"Go go Samurai!" Kevin rushed out.

"Gold Power!" Antonio responded, morphing as they both ran into battle.

Meanwhile, on the banks of the Sanzu River, Dayu found Deker soaking, still recovering from the injuries he had suffered at Emily's hands. Although the curse of immortality granted to him by Urumasa would regenerate his wounds, and the Sanzu River waters would help, his injuries had been extensive.

"You're looking pretty good for someone who was buried under a mountain." She commented.

"It was only half the mountain." He responded. "I suppose you're here to find me and report my whereabouts to Master Xandred."

"I won't tell him anything." She answered. "It's the least I can do since you saved me from the Samurai Rangers."

"Then if you aren't here to find me, what are you doing here?" He asked her.

"Why do you insist on duelling the Red Ranger?" She asked him, her thoughts straying to the days before. She didn't know why, but it seemed any time they met that Deker couldn't remember the days when they knew each other as humans. Was it simply too long and he had forgotten? Or had the curse of Urumasa robbed him of those memories? Whatever the case, he had gone out of his way to save her once, and if there was even a chance he still remembered, she wanted to know.

"I'm compelled to find the ultimate duel." He answered matter-of-factly. "That's all that matters. I can't remember a time when it wasn't."

"So you remember nothing from the past?" She asked him. Deker turned into his Nighlock form at this question. He did remember his past, some of it at least, and what little he did remember enraged him. It was memories he didn't want, the memories of the life that drove him to taking up Urumasa and the curse it carried.

"No, nothing." He lied, drawing the cursed nodachi. "My sword Urumasa calls to me, and I must ensure that ultimate duel finally happens."

"I see." She replied in a disappointed tone. "Is anything else in this world important to you?"

"I am cursed to satisfy this urge, so no." Deker answered as he started to walk away. "There is nothing but this."

"The Red Ranger is powerful!" She called after him. "You could be destroyed!"

He stopped in his tracks and looked back towards her. He couldn't be sure why, but it was like she actually cared that he could be marching towards a duel that would result in his death. He could almost feel sorrow in her voice.

"Would that be such a tragedy?" He asked her. With that, he walked away, disappearing into the distance.

Over at the Shiba House, Jayden was just arriving at the breakfast table, carrying a bowl of oatmeal. Mike, Emily and Mia were already eating.

"Where's Kevin?" He asked them. "He's never this late from his morning jog."

"Maybe he's still sulking." Mia said darkly. She was still in a terrible mood because of all the fighting. She hated fighting, especially with Kevin, but the way he was carrying on, it was as if he had found Mia in bed with Antonio. She liked the guy, but not that way. It wasn't so much the fact Kevin couldn't get on with Antonio that bothered her, or that he thought Antonio was 'putting the moves on her'. It was the fact that it gave her doubts as to how strong their relationship really was. "It wouldn't surprise me."

"He's usually back by now." Emily agreed, touching Mia's arm sympathetically. Mia just shrugged, indicating she didn't care, but inside she knew they were right. It wasn't like Kevin to be late. It was pretty much a cardinal sin to him.

"Usually, try always." Mike chipped in. "You could set your watch by the guy."

"Antonio's not here either." Emily remarked.

"Maybe Kevin murdered him and is burying him in a shallow grave somewhere." Mike joked. The others just glared at him judgementally. Emily kicked him in the shin under the table. "Ow! Alright, bad joke OK?"

Unfortunately, it had put a thought into Jayden's head. While he doubted Kevin would go as far as Mike had suggested, it certainly wasn't beyond him to hurt Antonio, and the fact was both of them were missing. It was possible something had happened to delay Kevin on his morning run, and it was perfectly innocent, but right now, it wasn't a chance he was willing to take.

"I have a bad feeling about this." He told them as he took a banana from the fruit bowl and stood up. "Come on, let's go and find them."


	4. ON The Same Page At Last?

**A/N:** I do not speak, read or write Spanish, and the translations come from Norton Translate. I humbly apologise to anyone who does speak Spanish that I've offended, and would welcome anyone correcting the appropriate sentences.

Antonio and Kevin found a place to hide in the forest, having been driven off by the combined might of Octoroo and the latest Nighlock Master Xandred had sent their way. It was a somewhat embarrassing situation for both of them.

Antonio was holding his arm. He had taken a pretty heavy shot when they ran from Octoroo's last blast. Kevin saw his pained expression.

"You can't fight with that arm." Kevin told him. "I'll deal with the moogers. You just hide till the coast is clear, then run and get the others."

"No!" Antonio put down flatly. "One arm or none, I'm not leaving you to fight these guys alone!"

"But..."

"I may not have been born into the whole Samurai thing like you guys, but the way I see it, you don't just give up because of a little pain." He replied. "Wherever you're going, I am too."

"Antonio..."

"Last time I checked, a Samurai wasn't meant to run from a battle. If he did, he was expected to commit Hara Kiri." Antonio interrupted him. "You can either just blindly follow tradition, in which case I'll lend you my Barracuda blade if you'd like, or you can accept that sometimes modern ways aren't necessarily bad."

Kevin just smirked as he heard this. Antonio had made a valid point. Strictly speaking under the Samurai code, retreat was not an option. If one was unfortunate enough to suffer a defeat and survive, they were honour bound to commit ritual suicide to cleanse their honour. He had to admit that coming back for a second round sounded a hell of a lot better than cutting open his stomach and pulling out his own entrails until he died of blood loss.

"Fine, but if you can't keep up..."

"I will." Antonio replied. He grabbed Kevin's jumper as he was about to go. "There's just one more thing."

"What?" Kevin asked him.

"It's about Mia." Antonio began. "I just wanted to explain..."

"I know exactly..."

"I wasn't putting the moves on her." Antonio interrupted him. "She's a nice girl, hot too, but I'm just not...well...I really wasn't looking at her that way."

"Bullshit!" Kevin snapped. "I saw the way..."

"Kevin I'm gay!" He interjected. Kevin looked stunned by what Antonio had said. "I don't make a habit of advertising the fact, but if it's that or have you kick my ass every day..."

"You're gay?" Kevin asked. "As in...?"

"Yeah, I'm not into girls." Antonio assured him. "I figured it out in High School. It's hard not to when you go to basketball games, and you're more turned on by the players than the cheerleaders."

"But...the way you touched her..."

"I'm just like that; I'm a tactile kind of guy." Antonio told him. "Hell, the only reason I've not tried to hug you is because I thought you'd break my neck."

"I can't say the thought hadn't crossed my mind." Kevin chuckled. "I even had a spot picked out for where I'd bury you."

"I hope it was somewhere nice." Antonio sniggered.

"Under the cherry blossom..."

"I'd have liked that." Antonio told him. "Um...can I just ask one thing?"

"What?" Kevin asked him.

"If we both make it through this, let me tell the others." Antonio requested. "I'm out, I am not ashamed of what I am, it's a part of me. It's just...I'd prefer it if I was the one to let the others know."

"You have my word." Kevin replied, offering him a hand to get up. "Come on. We have work to do."

"Wait!" Antonio called out, grabbing his scarf. He tore it in two, and handed half to Kevin. "When that nighlock comes back, that should help us keep a grip of our weapons."

"When the old ways aren't working, I guess it's time to embrace new ways." Kevin replied. "Come on. I don't want to do all the work."

"Not a chance blue boy." Antonio replied cheerfully as he followed Kevin back into action.

The other Rangers were racing through the forest, looking desperately for any sign of Kevin and Antonio when they heard the distinctive ring of weapon on weapon.

"It's coming from over there!" Emily shrieked. "Come on!"

Just as they arrived, the Nighlock was smashed to the ground. They all saw Octoroo disappear into a gap, leaving him to his fate. As they were about to intervene, he held up a hand.

"Jayden!" Mia shrieked.

"They're working together for the first time since they met." Jayden reminded her. "I say we let them finish what they started."

On the battle ground, Antonio and Kevin locked eyes as they watched the Nighlock struggle to his feet.

"Double team?" Antonio asked him.

"You know it mi amigo." Kevin replied with a smirk.

"Do me a favour." Antonio responded. "Don't try to speak Spanish till I can teach you to do it properly."

With that, they both struck him with all the power they had, destroying the Nighlock's first life. The others came in at that point.

"I guess you two finally figured things out." Jayden commented.

"It's about time." Mike chipped in.

"Guys, we might want to do this later." Mia suggested, pointing to the Nighlock as he became a Mega Monster. "It's time for round two."

"Well with Antonio here, I'm sure it'll be a breeze." Kevin replied. "Right compadre?"

"I so need to teach you Spanish." Antonio teased him as he whipped out his Samuraizer. "It's Zord time!"

Later in the day, the Rangers were back in the Shiba House, relaxing after their victory. There was a slightly frosty air between Kevin and Mia, to the point they were sitting at opposite sides of the table, and barely spoke beyond social pleasantries. Emily let out a shriek as she came in from the other room with a computer print out.

"Dios mio! Lo hice! Muchas Gracias!" She announced as she launched herself onto Antonio, almost knocking him off his seat.

"Ningun problema de dama bastante, fue un placur!" He replied. Everyone else just looked confused.

"It's my Spanish Module, I just completed it, I got an A!" She screeched. Mike got up, hugging his girlfriend tightly.

"How?" Kevin asked.

"All the time I was with her on the computer, I was showing her some Spanish learning websites." Antonio announced proudly. "I showed her Asterix cartoons in Spanish with subtitles. It's fun, and it gets the job done."

"So she wasn't laughing because you were goofing off." Kevin sighed. "She was laughing..."

"That Obelix is a funny guy." He told him. "Um...Mike, why don't you show the others what I was showing you on the Wii?"

Mike took out his Samuraizer and traced a Kanji symbol in the air. Before any of them knew what was happening, one of Mentor Ji's prized Bonsai had erupted into numerous pink blossoms.

"But...how?" Jayden asked.

"Wii art." Mike told them. "Antonio figured since I was more used to a Wii remote than a paintbrush, it might be worth giving that a try."

"Well, I guess I owe you another apology." Kevin stated. "I thought you were goofing off with Mike and Emily."

"I kind of was." Antonio conceded. "I just figured they could learn something while we were."

"I'm sorry." Kevin replied. Everyone in the room stared at him, stunned as though he had said something earth-shattering. "I guess there is more than one way to do things."

"Just because I wasn't born a Samurai doesn't mean I don't have the heart to become one." Antonio told him.

"I'm sorry guys; I know I've been acting like a jerk." Kevin admitted. "I thought I was acting in the best interests of the team, but..."

Mia just got up and stormed out. Kevin looked confused.

"What's up with Mia?" He asked.

"You mean you don't know?" Emily asked him. "You are such a sucky boyfriend!"

"Dude, even I can see what's pissing her off." Mike told him.

"I just don't get it." Kevin replied. "I'm apologising..."

"You're apologising for the wrong things." Jayden told him. "You and Antonio fought because you thought he was hitting on Mia."

"I remember." Kevin replied. "I was apologising..."

"You thought I was going after her." Antonio reminded him. "But it takes two to tango dude."

"Mia said..." Kevin paused as he started to realise what they were getting at.

"You didn't trust me, I get that." Antonio told him. "But by going off like that, you said something even more hurtful."

He shifted a bit closer.

"You basically told her you didn't trust her."

"But...I'd trust Mia with my life." He replied.

"It's easy to say, but the moment there was doubt, you went all caveman on her." Jayden pointed out. "Even if Antonio was putting the moves on her, she would need to reciprocate for it to lead to anything. The way you acted just made it seem like you expected that of her."

"It was a pretty shitty thing to do." Emily added. "It hurt her really badly."

"I need to talk to her." Kevin sighed. "Would you guys excuse me?"

With that, he walked out. Antonio took this moment to take the floor.

"Since we've now got that out of the way, we're a team, and as such, I think we need full disclosure." Antonio began. "It's not a big deal to me, but there's something about me I want you all to know."

"Hey, whatever it is dude, we'll be cool." Mike assured him.

"I'm gay." He announced. The room fell into silence.

"Cool." Emily finally managed to say.

"Whatever makes you happy man." Mike said with a shrug.

He looked to Jayden hopefully. Jayden was his childhood friend, and indeed the guy he was sharing a room with. He was the one that needed to really be on board with this. Jayden just smiled and extended a hand.

"It's been a long time." Jayden replied. "I guess it was inevitable things would have changed."

Antonio just breathed a sigh of relief as the others got up and hugged him, accepting him into the team. He had more than a few worries about coming into the team, but right now, he couldn't remember anywhere he had been more accepted.

Outside, Kevin found Mia holding a shinai, hammering into a training dummy. He let out a little cough to announce his presence. She saw him, but turned away and continued with what she was doing.

"Mia, I'm sorry." He began. "I know I've been a dick..."

"Is that all?" She asked him. He winced as she landed a harsh blow right to the dummy's crotch.

"I let things get the better of me." He told her. "I was a stupid, jealous idiot who let his insecurities get the better of him."

"That's not enough Kevin!" She snapped, turning to face him.

"Mia, I don't know what the hell I'm doing." He admitted. "This is my first relationship; I've already told you that. I don't know what to expect."

"You can expect it to be short." Mia replied coldly as she turned back to the dummy. He placed a hand on her shoulder, but she turned sharply by instinct, smashing the shinai into his face. He held up a hand from the floor.

"I was so scared about losing you I didn't think!" He declared. "I didn't think about the fact that you make your own decisions. It didn't matter what anyone else did, you would be the only one that could end things. By forgetting that, by acting the way I did, I made you feel like I didn't trust you and that couldn't be further from the truth." He got up and made his way towards her. "I'm sorry."

She hated to be at odds with Kevin, she genuinely wanted to make things right with him, but she couldn't help feeling hurt that he hadn't simply taken her word for it that nothing had happened between her and Antonio. She just smiled.

"You're going to have to do a lot to make it up to me." She told him.

"Anything you want." He replied, grinning eagerly.

"I feel like a night at the movies." She told him. "Maybe with dinner beforehand."

"I think I can do that." Kevin answered. She held up a hand to warn him as he pulled her closer.

"If this happens again..."

"Hey, it's a learning experience right? Consider the lesson learned." Kevin assured her as he picked her up, carrying her towards the gates. "It won't happen again."

Back in the underworld, Octoroo was back on the junk, having already heard a rant from Master Xandred about his failure. Dayu was waiting as he came out of the main room, once Xandred was unconscious.

"So, I guess that's what the scroll was about." She commented. "That well and the whole 'reverse santa' deal?"

"Mind your own business Dayu." He snapped. "I have more important things to do."

As he walked away, she stroked her chin thoughtfully.

"So that wasn't about the well." She commented. "Perhaps I should keep an eye on you."

Back in the Shiba House, long after everyone else was in bed, Mentor Ji was still up, checking the fragment of scroll he had, and cross-referencing it with several databases online. He didn't really know what Octoroo was up to, but then he finally found one word, a name, one that shook him to his core.

"It can't be!" He gasped. He picked up the phone and dialled. As it rang, his heart raced. This was potentially very bad. "I'm sorry for contacting you at this late hour."

The voice on the other end was far from pleased, something he had expected, but he also knew it was necessary to do this.

"I'm afraid that something important has come up." He assured the other caller. "The fate of the world may literally rest upon you."

Fin.


End file.
